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Bret Hart

Recently, it has come popular to try and rank to top 10 wrestlers in WWE history based off of various scales, ranking systems, etc. There are dozens of ways to determine who had the best run in their WWE career, including time on top, mic skills, mat skills, title reigns, Wrestlemania headlining matches, etc. For me, if I were using my own scale, I would rank on 5 categories:

1) Ownership of Character – because at the end of the day, you have to be a great character to make it in the industry.
2) Storytelling ability – once your character is established, you must be able to tell the story, work with other characters, and complete the ultimate ending of a storyline.
3) In-ring ability – that story must be told and executed in the ring.
4) Mic skills – If you have it, you have it. If you don’t you need a mouth piece. If you don’t have either, you aren’t going to be great.
5) Value to WWE – Do you sell PPV’s, merchandise, and ultimate capture the PR the WWE is looking for.

For this article, I am going to use the Mitchamore Scale, thought up by Blake Mitchamore (@BlakeAaron73)…

His scale took in to account the following…

1. Longevity- How long was there run on the top?

2. In Ring Ability

3. Mic-Work – How good were they with the stick in their hands.

4. Mainstream appeal – Were they just big in the wrestling world or did they break out to the mainstream?

5. Flexibility- Could they reinvent themselves? Did they have multiple runs on top or were they the same exact character throughout their career?

6. Wrestlemania- How many Wrestlemania were they in one of the main event matches on the card?

* Tie Breaker- I used Wrestlemania main events as the tie breaker.

Using this ranking system, here is the way I ranked a short list of superstars. Once they were out of contention, I cut them. Those stars included Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Kane, Edge, Batista, Mick Foley, Warrior, Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar (due to longevity alone). I didn’t feel CM Punk deserved to be considered.

Hulk Hogan – 9,5,9,8,7,10 = 48… Yes, he was terrible at #2, average is a compliment. Remember, this is WWE, not WCW – so #5 shows no real change (he wasn’t a heel during his main WWE run).

Bret Hart – 8,9,7,6,7,7 = 43… Bret really never crossed over in to the “mainstream” media. He was shaky on the mic in my opinion.

Steve Austin – 9,7,8,7,8,9 = 48… Austin was good in the ring, not great. He can’t be a 9 or 10 on the mic because that is for the best, he wasn’t the “best”.

Undertaker – 8,7,6,5,8,10 = 44… Taker’s career has been extended in the last 5-7 years by fighting a limited schedule. I wouldn’t say he was ever “mainstream”. He is however, one of two that I rank at the top of the Wrestlemania scale, 21 … and 1.

The Rock – 9,8,10,10,8,9 = 54… Longevity might be a bit too polite, but even if I drop it 1, that puts him at 53 overall. He worked the mic like no other and, he crossed over like no other. For the overrating he may have gotten from me in longevity, he was underscored in flexibility (should be 9). Heel/face, it doesn’t matter!

Shawn Michaels – 10,9,8,7,8,10 = 52… HBK was a lifer, he was almost perfect in ring – until his back caught up. He was sneaky good on the mic and, well, he is Mr. Wrestlemania!

Triple H – 9,8,8,7,8,8 = 48… Sorry Blake, Triple H isn’t #1. Is is very good though. He wasn’t a lifer, but he is locked in for life now. He’s technical in ring and better than good on the mic. Mainstream – no. He was flexible in character and lost 3 times to Undertaker at Wrestlemania!

John Cena – 10,7,8,8,7,9 = 49… He’s a lifer, in-ring, well… and he’s held the company above water the past decade.

Randy Orton – 8,8,7,8,8,8 = 47… Randy Orton just gets it done. If it weren’t for John Cena, Orton’s legacy would be something much greater. Orton and Cena could have been Rock and Austin part 2, but it wasn’t.

Chris Jericho – 7,8,8,7,7,8 = 45… Y2J was under-appreciated, both in WCW and WWE. Vince saw his potential, which is why he was the first undisputed WWE Champion. That said, he had a shorter run, left and came back as a part timer. He was I.C. champ 750 times, tag partner with 50 guys, and he had the red carpet debut with the Rock. I find it hard to rank him above Undertaker, which is why I think this scale and system needs adjusted.

Bret Hart – 8,7,9,7,7 = 38… He was the Hitman, he owned the character, but he never took it to the next level. He was OK at telling stories, at best. He was damn near perfect in ring, shaky on the mic and ultimately never gave the WWE the ROI they had hoped for.

Undertaker – 9,9,7,7,9 = 41… The reason for the knock down here is when he cut his hair and became a damn biker! He told great stories, was very good for a big man in the ring, could speak when needed – but had Paul Bearer, and he sold millions of Wrestlemania buys, thus of great value.

Chris Jericho – 8,7,8,9,8 = 39… He played too much with his character in my opinion, but made up for it with mic skills. He was a fantastic worker and, like mentioned above, was very transparent. That Rock debut again, didn’t hurt his cause!

Randy Orton – 8,7,8,8,8 = 39… Much of the same as Jericho. Had a chance to be great, but he had John Cena to deal with – stole his thunder. Also, a few suspensions didn’t help his cause.

Triple H – 8,8,8,9,8 = 41… Hunter was very good, just not GREAT in any specific area. He was consistent, and his mic skills in DX gave him a great asset.

Steve Austin – 9,9,8,9,10 = 45… Austin’s character was brilliant and that’s the bottom line! He sold the storyline, was pretty damn good in ring, worked the mic like a champ and his value was top.

Hulk Hogan – 10,9,7,9,10 = 45… So he is tied with Austin, we will break that later. His only flaw was in-ring to me. He didn’t everything else the American way. He headlined the biggest events – Andre, Savage, Warrior, Slaughter. He even came back and work a great one with the Rock (see what I did there?!).

John Cena – 8,8,7,7,10 = 40… Imagine Cena in the Hogan era, what could have been between those two! You could have gotten away with turning Cena heel! That said, Cena is bland to me over time. He really isn’t special in-ring, but his value is second to none, tied with the best.

Shawn Michaels – 9,8,9,8,9 = 43… If it weren’t for injuries, HBK would rank higher. Sorry, but it’s part of the game. He wasn’t durable enough to be on top – but he is still one of the best.

The Rock – 9,9,8,10,10 = 46… Dwayne recreated the way to succeed in the industry. His character was awesome, heel or face. He told a story in the ring and on the mic. His only hitch, to me, was that he was very very good in ring, but others were better, which is why I gave him an 8. His mic skills, yeah. Value, double yeah.

So lets break down this top ten…

10. Bret Hart (38)
9. Randy Orton (39)
8. Chris Jericho (40t)
7. John Cena (40t) – overall value is greater than Jericho
6. Triple H (41t)
5. Undertaker (41t) – this is a judgement on what he DID for the WWE, not what he WILL DO in the future
4. Shawn Michaels (43)
3. Hulk Hogan (45t)
2. Steve Austin (45t) – Hogan created it with Vince, Austin executed it with Vince.
1. The Rock (46)

Now, lets compare my rankings and the Mitchamore scale to come up with an average and comparison.

Overall, the results are similar. Each wrestler has their value for each ranking. My problem with the Mitchamore scale rating Triple H 1 and Undertaker 2 is the fact that the Undertaker is 3-0 at Wrestlemania vs. Triple H. Our biggest differing of opinion is Steve Austin and The Rock. However, both scales for me show greater value for those two wrestlers.

It’s all a matter of opinion, but the top 10 is a great list and a good place to start. Who would be the WWE Mt. Rushmore? This is just WWE in the past 20 years – imagine if we added WCW, NWA, and all the other territories and great wrestlers. Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Sting, Dusty Rhodes.

The interesting thing about the combo scale is the 4-way tie for 2nd/ or 5th. Hogan was Mr. Wrestlemania, Michaels became Mr. Wrestlemania, Undertaker is 21-1 at Wrestlemania and HHH one day will book (w/out Vince) Wrestlemania.

Less than one week removed from an epic journey to New Orleans for Wrestlemania XXX, I was on hand Saturday night in Meadville, PA for the International Wrestling Cartel’s (IWC) “Night of the Superstars 3.”

Shortly after 3:00 p.m. Saturday I began the 90 minute journey north from Pittsburgh to Meadville on interstate 79. Riding shotgun and joining me for the evening was my wife, Dayna, who had never been to an IWC show. She also joined me in New Orleans, along with the Chair Shot Reality team, for our Wrestlemania weekend of events that included a Q&A with Matt Striker, a ‘Mania Sunday crawfish boil with Matt Hardy, and one hell of a weekend of fun!

Matt Striker joining the CSR crew and VIP guest Blake Mitchamore at Spirits on Bourbon in New Orleans.

I wasn’t sure how Dayna would take in her first IWC event, explaining to her that it would be much different than Wrestlemania or Raw, with its smaller crowds and lesser known wrestlers. She asked many questions during our commute to Meadville Middle School including ‘what cutting a promo was’ when I explained to her that Chair Shot Reality’s Justin LaBar (also an IWC manager) would be cutting a promo tonight, along with his client RJ City. She also was curious about the Steiner Brothers, AJ Styles, and Bret “Hitman” Hart – all who would be on the card that evening.

Most of my answers were simple for me to explain, but to someone just getting in to this thing known as ‘sports entertainment’, it was not as easy for her to understand. It’s hard to ever find something Dayna can’t understand, as she is definitely the brains of this marriage, earning her master’s degree from the prestigious Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

We arrived in Meadville just after 5:00 p.m. and the venue was already jammed packed for the VIP meet and greet. We entered through the back to join LaBar, along with IWC guests for the weekend, Trevor and Amber Ellison. The Ellison’s were in town from Riverton, Wyoming for a weekend of wrestling in Pittsburgh. Both Trevor and Amber are fans of CSR, and Trevor is now and forever WINNING his battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Shortly after learning about Trevor’s diagnosis, we reached out to Amber about surprising Trevor with a trip to Pittsburgh to be on CSR and take in Night of the Superstars.

Trevor and Amber Ellison from Riverton, Wyoming!

IWC owner Chuck Roberts gave us his blessing to invite the Ellison’s to the event that evening, with VIP access to several of the superstars, as well as preferred seating. Chuck also made Trevor a special guest ring announcer for the evening! Recently, Chuck’s mom lost her courageous battle with cancer, and her memory will forever live on with Chuck’s dedicated and tireless work to put on some of the best entertainment you will find on the independent wrestling scene.

Trevor serving as guest ring announcer for the Striker v. Fish match!

On to the event itself, top to bottom, there was not a single lull in the evening! The sold out crowd of more than 2,000 was enthusiastic from the moment the doors opened to the gymnasium. The wrestling card for the evening was stacked, and kicked off with Chuck welcoming everyone to Night of the Superstars, thanking everyone for their support and what the evening meant to the Meadville Middle School, which the show benefited. He also apologized for the 45 minute delay to the start of the event, as there were still nearly 100 people waiting to meet Bret Hart at the VIP meet and greet.

“I would like to apologize to you for the delay in tonight’s action however, it is only fair to give those who paid to meet Bret Hart their opportunity to do so. Each and every one of you tonight deserve the best, and I will make sure the best is what you get!” (PARAPHRASED)

Then, the night kicked off with a three way dance which saw the “Neon Ninja” Facade come out victorious while overcoming all odds. The opening match was followed by one of the wildest 8-man tag matches I have ever seen that was not on a Survivor Series card. The overly-entertaining team of Keith Haught, Bronco McBride, Jay Flash and Gregory Iron defeated the Sexy Talented Dudes (STD’s) with various high-risk moves, greatly thought-out double, triple, and even quadruple-team moves, and comedy that had everyone from 5 years old to 75 years old laughing with tears!

The first appearance for LaBar on the evening was with his “new client” Matt Taven. I’ve seen Taven on several occasion’s over the past year and he is one of the great young talent’s in ALL of professional wrestling. The longest reigning Ring of Honor Television Champion was set for battle against the IWC World Heavyweight Champion, Dalton Castle. While this match was third on the card, it was WWE pay-per-view worthy.

Longest reigning TV Champ in ROH history!

With a crowd that was on fire, The Founding Fathers were out next for a match against Asylum and Rocky Reynolds. Again, another match and not a single disappointing moment in the action.

The final match of the first half of the show brought LaBar to the ring once more, this time with the ever so eloquent on the microphone – IWC Super Indy Champion, who prefers to be called the Super Entertainment Champion, RJ City. However, City’s super entertainment on the mic was cut short by the “Excellence of Execution” Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart! This was one of the highlights of my night, not seeing Bret this close, and live, since a house show at the old Civic Arena in Pittsburgh back in the early 90’s. Then, I sat ringside and got a high five from Hart at the end of his match. This time, I sat 7 rows up in the bleachers and took in the sight, the moment, and all the energy of the Hitman’s appearance!

RJ City and Justin LaBar taking over the IWC ring!

After a great speech to the crowd, in which he thanked the fans for coming out and supporting not only the IWC, but also the Meadville Middle School, Hart then sat in the corner of his nephew Davey Boy Smith Jr. The bout between City and Smith was great, the finesse of City against the power and experience of Smith. When it was all said and done, Smith had scored the pinfall, but in a display of wisdom and creative genius, City was able to ‘plant’ brass knuckles in Smith’s trunks, leaving the ref no choice but to call for a reverse decision and disqualification of Smith, giving City the win.

The Excellence of Execution addressing the IWC fans.

Next up was intermission, which included the chance to get in to the ring and snap a photo with the Steiner Brothers! I for one have been a fan of the Dog Faced Gremlin and Big Poppa Pump since the late 1980’s! Seeing them live for the first time was awesome. It was also awesome seeing nearly a quarter of the audience take the opportunity for pictures with Rick and Scott. While it did drag on, it also raised money for a great cause!

Following intermission was a one-on-one bout between Bobby Fish and Matt Striker. This match was especially meaningful to me on several levels. For one, I have been privileged over the past 5 months to get to know Striker outside the ring. His knowledge of the business and advice has been priceless. The way he interacts during an appearance, a match, and in person is always professional and with great respect. Not only has he been a guest on CSR, he was also part of our CSR meet and greet in New Orleans at Spirits on Bourbon. Aside from the great insight he shared to the crowd on Bourbon, he takes the time to truly appreciate the fans.

Not only did Striker call up a young fan who attended our event in New Orleans, thanking his father for getting his son in to wrestling, he also met and talked with both Trevor and Amber on Saturday prior to the show. In New Orleans, we gave Matt the background on Trevor and without hesitation he said “please let me know if there is anything I can do.” Sure enough on Saturday afternoon, Matt took significant time to sit with Trevor and learned first hand what Trevor’s story was. From my point of view, there aren’t many in the business I have more respect for than Matt Striker.

Matt Striker taking time to chat with the Ellison’s and learn more about Trevor’s fight. Here, Matt is watching the CSR surprise invite to Trevor!

Fish and Striker went on to amaze the crowd, even including the referee for several entertaining spots! While Striker took the loss, he will forever be a winner in and out of that 20 by 20 foot squared circle.

Striker tweeting out to Trevor following the show.

Next up was The Steiner Brothers, who joined Jimmy Nuts, to take on Team Big League. Again, seeing the Steiner Brothers for the first time was something I won’t soon forget. All the signature moves, aside from a frankensteiner, were brought out for this one. The classic Rick Steiner “woof woof woof” was heard loud by all. The flexing of the Big Bad Booty Daddy, culminating with an elbow drop, pull up pin, and push-ups made the fans thunderous with applause! Ending this bout was Rick coming off the top rope for a classic Steinerizer!

Big Poppa Pump – Scott Steiner

The Dog Faced Gremlin – Rick Steiner

And then, it was main event time. Making his return to the IWC was “The Sensational” AJ Styles. The two-time IWC Super Indy Champ sqaured off against Anthony Nese in a bout billed “First Time Ever!” Hopefully, it won’t be the last. From bell to bell the action was phenomenal, with moves precisely executed and sold with authority. This was also the first time I saw Styles live and he was everything I thought he would be, and more. The ending to this match was something fit for a Wrestlemania card.

Nese missed a 450 splash from the top rope, to which styles began a vicious comeback with a series of chops and kicks, culminating with a Styles Clash! For 35 seconds, the crowd didn’t know whether to cheer in excitement or stay silent in appreciation. Once Styles secured the one-two-three, the entire venue erupted with cheers. I was fortunate enough to record the finish on my phone and immediately watched it over and over again. Dayna was also very impressed, and perhaps left wanting more of this thing called sports entertainment.

On this night, entertainment was abound with non-stop action, which no doubt “totally” could stand toe-to-toe with a few of the more televised and advertised wrestling companies. After my first and second IWC shows, I was able to appreciate what went in to the events from a behind-the-scenes perspective. Saturday night, I was able to take in the crowd, the action, and the EXCELLENT ENTERTAINMENT! Once again, I would strongly suggest visiting IWCWrestling.com to learn more about the promotion, it’s extremely talented stars, and when you can next see these great young stars in action.

I recently had the opportunity, for the second time in 10 weeks, to have an all access look behind the scenes of the International Wrestling Cartel (IWC). And, for the second consecutive show, I left with a greater appreciation of the atmosphere, the overall production, and most importantly – the boys.

Since February 8, 2013, I’ve taken on this professional wrestling industry as a second career. From the onset, I wasn’t sure how I’d fit in or how my future in the business would play out. 54 weeks later, through the guidance of Chair Shot Reality (CSR) executive producer, Justin LaBar, I’ve learned more than I ever knew in a very short period of time.

Prior to joining CSR, I was a “casual” fan of sports entertainment. I was a diehard growing up as a kid enjoying the performances of Sting, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Bret Hart. As I grew older, I still followed the sport – having monthly WWE pay-per-view parties at a friend’s house.

And then I went to college.

I no longer tuned in to USA or Spike TV every Monday night at 9PM. I no longer had the time or money to watch the big shows each month. But, I did still have the itch, the guilty pleasure, and most importantly, the friends who still had a passion for professional wrestling.

It was by chance, when I was a senior at Point Park University, that I would meet a skinny kid with blonde highlights and a love for professional wrestling. That scrawny pretty boy was LaBar. I was 23 and he was 18 when our paths crossed for the first time.

Thanks to the generosity of IWC owner Chuck Roberts, I had an all access pass that night. I didn’t know what to expect, but I did know I wanted to learn. I desired wanting to learn everything I possibly could in order to have a better understanding of the overall world of the industry. And learn is exactly what I did.

What I left with that evening was a greater appreciation for the business and everything that goes in to it. I won’t give all the details, but I will say that behind the curtain, professional wrestling is a work of art. Some of the art is that of beginners however, much more of the art is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Before John Cena was the face of the WWE, he was learning how to wrestle just as the stars of IWC were on this evening. He wrestled in a local gym, in front of a crowd of 300, dressing in an open area with 30 others, while rehearsing his match against his opponent in the dark, and at the end of the night was a better performer because of it.

The night of December 14, former WWE wrestler and commentator Matt Striker was the special draw of the evening. He wrestled a match against Andrew Palace, which was the first in a series of upcoming matches that will crown the IWC Super Indy Champion. Palace was victorious, but Striker’s feedback to not only Palace, but the entire IWC locker room was worth more than anything they made that evening.

Matt Striker was also invaluable to me as well.

While Striker was in town, he was a guest host on CSR. Meeting him earlier in the week, I was able to communicate seamlessly with Striker at the IWC event. In fact, there wasn’t one person on the IWC roster who wasn’t accommodating to me. They each introduced themselves to me, a total stranger to most, as soon as they arrived at the venue. One by one they approached me, extended their hand and said “Hi I’m (FILL IN THE BLANK).”

WOW, talk about respect! I immediately turned to LaBar and pointed out how impressed I was by the professionalism of all the talent. Not just as wrestlers, but as real life people. It was this that made me appreciate the boys endlessly.

The night ended up being a great success. Colt Cabana performed in a triple threat match – which was won by the ‘Neon Ninja’ Façade. RJ City defeated Shima Ion, and Dalton Castle defeated ‘Big League’ John McChesney to win the IWC World Heavyweight Championship. It was the dawning of a new era for the IWC!

At the end of the evening all the boys rallied together. For some, dinner was on the agenda after a night of blood and sweat- adding a beer to celebrate a night well done and successful show by all.

It was at that dinner when Roberts asked me “how was it?” My response- great!

I further explained to Roberts that I was impressed with everything from start to finish. I saw what I could only imagine prior to the event. And, I then reiterated what stood out the most to me- the individual respect and introductions from each and every one of the IWC performers.

I’ve heard horror stories from independent wrestling shows about lack of morale, no-shows, and dead crowds. I encourage you to visit the IWC website (www.IWCwrestling.com) and pick a show in the near future to attend. You will get great value for your entertainment dollar.

This past weekend I was on hand once again for the ‘New Era’ event. I arrived to the venue with LaBar and guest talents of the evening- Luke Gallows and Amber O’Neal. Immediately, I said to myself, ‘I am going to walk up to each of the boys – and girls – one by one and shake their hands.’ However, before I could even begin that process, they all approached me, again.

It is something I’ve come to expect and greatly appreciate.

This was no fluke, the IWC locker room is something special. There is only one place this could come from, and that is the leadership of Chuck Roberts.

Observing Roberts more closely this evening, I was able to see the hustle and bustle of the promoter of the company. His dedication to each and every detail was precise. He knew what he wanted and made sure all hands were on board. I can only think that in Vince McMahon’s infant days in the business, he was the same way. I sure hope so, because I don’t see how the WWE could be where it is today without the tireless effort of its leader.

Chuck Roberts is a leader and, I wish him all the best in one day making IWC one of the biggest draws in the industry. This evening, in addition to Gallows – Al Snow was on the card. But IWC is no stranger to top talent. Several current top WWE stars have performed over the years for IWC.

Cesaro and CM Punk are just two of the many who wrestled in an IWC ring.

Recently, another IWC grad and original, Logan Shulo, began his quest to make the WWE roster down at the WWE Performance Center and NXT. I was fortunate enough to see Logan’s last IWC show in December and I am certain I will see his first WWE match sooner rather than later.

At the end of the night, there was once again a rallying of all, and the boys were complete once again in blood, sweat and a beer. And finally, I accomplished what I had set out to do 7 hours earlier, I initiated farewell handshakes with the boys and let them know just how much I appreciated their work.

The IWC stands for International Wrestling Cartel, but to me- it now means- Infused With Class.